PurposeWe are a collaboration of individuals and organizations, committed to connecting people of all backgrounds and across all differences, through meaningful and empowering dialogue, starting at the community level. The goals are:

A deeper understanding among people of diverse beliefs and backgrounds, and of current issues that affect us in both similar and different ways

The discovery and recognition of shared interest and common ground

The cultivation of community and individual agency – the ability to produce a desired outcome through one's participation

We understand that democracy is not something we have, but is something we do – as a way of life, a civic culture in which all citizens are invited to participate. We believe that this requires creating spaces where we can come together to overcome our fear of conflict by experiencing its rewards. We recognize that:

Authentic, open, cross-boundary dialogue is the building-block of democracy

Participants must be willing to hold their assumptions in suspension, to listen as much as talk

People must believe in their own agency in order to have the incentive to act at all, let alone persevere in the face of challenge, which is essential for effective public participation in the democratic process

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